This invention relates generally to a display hook for point of purchase items or packages. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heavy duty display hook for insertion into a slot of a panel.
The retail sales industry is now widely employing point of purchase display systems which include a fold-up display rack and product display hooks which can be prepacked with the product before shipment to the point of purchase merchant for final assembly. In such a display system, a display stand or rack is constructed of a lightweight inexpensive material, such as cardboard, which may be folded up into a rigid folded planar structure containing attractive artwork or consumer information related to the product. In order to provide a fully stocked display system which is ready for presentation to the customer, manufacturers now provide a prepacked display in which the product has already been stocked or installed on the several display hooks mounted on the partially assembled panel. In this way, upon receipt of the manufacturer's shipping container, the merchant or retailer need only assemble the stand components to achieve a fully stocked display system which is ready for presentation to the customer.
Several known forms of such display systems employ a hook mounted in a horizontal or vertical slot in a panel, such as cardboard. One particularly advantageous form of such a system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,905 which is owned by the assignee of the instant invention. That patent is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. While the display hook disclosed in the '905 patent is advantageous, it has been found that the holding power of the hook employed in that display system is only on the order of 3 or 4 lbs. If the weight of packages on the hook is greater than that amount, the hook tends to break at the joint between the bridge and the back plate thereof.
Other such product display systems with hooks are also widely known. Another example of such a display system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,417. However, the hook disclosed in this patent is similarly able to hold only 3 or 4 lbs. of merchandise before breaking.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved display hook which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.